Point Loma High School athletic director John Murphy found a nice surprise in his campus mailbox when he returned to school after the two-week winter break.

Murphy learned he will receive the Norm MacKenzie Award from the California State Athletic Directors Association (CSADA).

The award is given to an athletic director in each of the association’s 10 state sections who have demonstrated outstan-ding work and dedication during their first four years in the position.

The San Diego section includes all of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Murphy will receive the award April 12 at the CSADA’s annual banquet at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley. The presentation is part of the group’s yearly conference there April 10-13.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition from CSADA,” said Murphy. “I have tried to carry on the tradition of excellence at PLHS established by Coach Bennie Edens years ago. But this award is only due to the hard work of our incredible coaches, teachers, support staff, administrators, parents and alumni. We are truly a team at Point Loma.”

Murphy coaches the girls’ varsity soccer team and is an advisor to the Pointer surf team.

Overseeing a slate of 71 teams totaling over 800 students in 19 different sports, Murphy has earned respect from school administrators, coaches and parents by making sure limited athletic funds are distributed to all sports, including the school’s underfunded sports that receive no school district funds.

Among improvements during Murphy’s tenure are the conversion of a little-used portion of the girls’ locker room to a team room for three girls’ sports, construction of a new weight room, establishment of parent-booster groups for almost all sports, overseeing efforts to fund qualified athletic trainers at all practices and games and the Correia Middle School Field Project that would convert a large, unsightly area of the middle school’s property into a state-of-the-art athletic complex for use by both students and community groups.

“I’ve been fortunate to have the support of both [former principal] Bobbie Samilson and [current principal] Hans Becker,” Murphy said. “My goal is to give every student-athlete at PLHS the best possible equipment, facilities and opportunities for success.”

Doing that involves long hours for Murphy, who arrives early to begin his school day at 6:30 a.m., when he coaches the school’s surf physical education class at Ocean Beach. By the time his official duties end, it is often no earlier than 8 p.m. Murphy has taught several classes, answered numerous phone calls and emails, in addition to checking up on the classroom work and citizenship of his 800-plus athletes.

Despite the challenges, Murphy always sports a smile for staff members and parents. Pointer students greet him warmly whenever their paths cross.

“I’m so blessed to be doing something I love,” Murphy said.

Murphy lives in Point Loma with his wife, Irma. They have two adult daughters.